1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a socket structure stack and a socket structure thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a socket structure stack for connecting with printed circuit boards that are mounted with electronic devices, and to a stackable socket structure for forming the socket structure stack.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, electronic devices such as northbridge chips, voice chips, processors, dynamic random access memories (DRAMs), and integrated circuits (ICs) are soldered to a printed circuit board, and then the printed circuit board is connected to a socket structure. The socket structure has one end formed with conductive terminals for making electrical connection with the electronic devices and another end provided with pins or solder balls for connecting with the printed circuit board.
There are currently several standard specifications regarding the pins of such socket structures, and these standard specifications are adopted by electronic device manufacturers, printed circuit board manufacturers, and socket structure manufacturers alike when making new products. Therefore, electronic devices of a newer generation will still be applicable to, i.e., compatible with, printed circuit boards and socket structures that are made according to the standard specifications. The standardization of specifications is intended to facilitate the development and production of new products in the electronic industry.
Now that all socket structures and printed circuit boards conform to the standard specifications, it is theoretically feasible to detach and recycle used socket structures and printed circuit boards and use them in new electronic products. However, in order to ensure optimal signal transmission between a socket structure and a printed circuit board connected thereto and prevent the printed circuit board from coming off the socket structure, it is common practice to fix the pins or solder balls at one end of the socket structure to the printed circuit board by soldering. As a result, it is difficult to detach the printed circuit board from the socket structure for recycling and reuse, and this may raise environmental protection issues. For example, during the development process of a new electronic product, it is often necessary to test the performances of different electronic devices (e.g., processors, voice chips, etc.) to be used. If the pins or solder balls at one end of a socket structure are soldered to the printed circuit board on which an electronic device to be tested is mounted, it will be impossible to detach the printed circuit board from the socket structure and use the same printed circuit board in different tests.
Moreover, when it is desired to stack and solder a plurality of electronic devices, printed circuit boards, and socket structures together as a three-dimensional (3D) structure, the limited space around the printed circuit boards and the socket structures tends to hinder the soldering process to be performed.